Bail set at $100,000 for woman accused in toddler son’s death

By Cara McCoy

Friday, March 12, 2010 | 10:23 a.m.

Bail was set Friday morning at $100,000 for a woman arrested in connection with the death of her 3-year-old son, who police say died as a result of injuries inflicted on the child by her boyfriend.

Elizabeth Tara Stack, 29, appeared via videoconference this morning in Las Vegas Justice Court.

Her co-defendant, Jesse Parsons, 23, who was her boyfriend of three months when her son, Leland Chris-Angel Garcia, 3, died, waived a preliminary hearing until his competency can be evaluated in district court. His bail wasn't addressed.

Deputy public defender Tim O'Brien declined to comment on the case or his client's mental state.

Police allege Parsons caused the boy’s injuries. Stack is charged because investigators say she was aware of the abuse in her home but didn’t intervene to stop it.

Police responded at about midnight Monday to a report of an unresponsive child at a home in the 6000 block of Bing Cherry Drive in the eastern valley. The boy was taken to Sunrise Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Police said an autopsy revealed the child suffered severe bruising to the head, the majority of his abdomen and his lower body; the boy also had internal injuries consistent with blunt force trauma.

Police said Parsons would frequently discipline Leland by striking him with different objects. He would also strike the other siblings, but the attacks were usually less violent, authorities said.

Stack’s court-appointed attorney, Joel Mann, asked Justice of the Peace Karen Bennett-Haron for bail to be set at $100,000. He cited Stack’s lack of criminal history and ties to the community, saying she has lived in Las Vegas since she was 8 years old and has family living in the area.

“She’s obviously looking at six serious charges, one of them being second-degree murder involving her own child,” he said. “The allegations arise from her neglect or failure to step in but in no way under her own hand.”

Deputy District Attorney Brian Kochevar said he didn’t oppose a bail of $100,000 but asked for it not to be any lower.

Bennett-Haron granted Mann’s request.

A preliminary hearing in the case is set for March 25 but could be reset pending the results of Parsons’ competency.

In addition to murder charges in connection with Leland’s death, the two are facing child abuse and neglect charges related to what police allege is the abuse of Stack’s six other children.

Clark County Child Protective Services assisted with Metro’s investigation and reported that officials had investigated Stack on two occasions within the last year. Parsons wasn't involved with those previous cases.

Mann said today he believes at least some of the other children have been placed with Stack’s sister.